Temporizing or delay device



Aug. 17, E. ASCQL] TEMPORIZING OR DELAY DEVICE Filed June 17, 1946Patented Aug. 17, 1948 2,447,151 TEMPORIZING OR DELAY DEV ICE EnzoAscoli, Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, assignor to Paillard S. A. (PaillardA. G., Paillard Limited), Sainte-Croix, Switzerland Application June 17,1946, Serial No. 677,245 In Switzerland March 21, 1946 6 Claims. 1

There are in existence numerous temporising devices adapted to producethe operation of a member after a defined fixed or adjustable lapse oftime.

Some of these devices are provided with a minute wheel work driving amember for actuating the operating member. Others, set in action by amotor rotating at a constant speed, are provided with a device fordriving the actuating member provided with pawls subjected to the actionof springs and cooperating with a ratchet wheel carrying the actuatingmember.

All these devices have a satisfactory operation as regards the precisionof the temporising period of time, but nevertheless they all have adefect which in some cases may be extremely annoying. In fact both theknown minute wheel works and the pawl devices are noisy.

The present invention has for its subject a temporising device providedwith a rocking operating member held in its two positions by the actionof a spring, an actuating member producing, after a period of timedetermined by the position of an adjusting member, the rocking of theoperating member from one of its positions into its other position. Thisdevice tends to eliminate the disadvantage referred to by the fact thatthe actuating member is driven, against the action of a return springwhich connects it to the adjusting member, by the acion of a feed pawl,driven in a rotary movement of translation and subjected to a frictiontorque in such a manner as to cooperate with a ratchet wheel carryingthe said actuating member, this still being held against the action ofits return spring by a retaining pawl also subjected to the frictiontorque tending to hold it in engagement with the teeth of the rachetwheel.

Another object of my invention is a delay device comprising a rockingoperating member, a pair of spaced fixed stops, said stops serving todetermine the extreme positions of said rocking member, a springassociated with said rocking member, said spring serving to move andhold said rocking member in its end positions, an actuating membercooperating with said rocking member, an adjusting member associatedwith said actuating member, a return spring associated with saidadjusting member, a shaft, means for driving said shaft, a feed pawl onsaid shaft, said feed pawl driving said actuating member, a ratchetwheel connected to said adjusting member 'by said return spring, and aretaining pawl on said shaft, said feed pawl and said retaining pawlcooperating with said ratchet wheel, said feed pawl being subjected to afriction torque in such a manner as to cooperate with said ratchet wheelcarrying said actuating member, said ratchet wheel being retainedagainst the action of said return spring by said retaining pawl which issubjected to a friction torque tending to hold said retaining pawl inengagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel.

Still another object of my invention is a delay device comprising ashaft, an operating member pivoted freely on said shaft, a pair of stopscooperating with said operating member, said stops serving to define thetwo end positions of said operating member, a, spring associated withsaid operating member, said spring serving to urge said operating memberinto one or other of its end positions, a lever pivotally mounted onsaid shaft, a pin on said lever, a second spring associated with saidlever, said second spring holding said pin in contact with saidoperating member, a nose on said lever, a second shaft, a ratchetv wheelloosely mounted on said second shaft, an actuating member securedrigidly to said ratchet wheel, a member secured rigidly to said secondshaft, a second nose on said member, said nose being at the samedistance from said second shaft as said actuating member, a third springfixed at opposite ends to said ratchet wheel and said member rigid withsecond shaft, said third spring tending to hold said nose in engagementwith said actuating member, a third shaft, concentric and eccentricportions on said third shaft, a feed pawl frictionally engaging saideccentric portion, a retaining pawl frictionally engaging saidconcentric portion, said paWls cooperating with said ratchet wheel,tails on said pawls and a lug on said operating member, said lugcooperating with said tails.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the followingspecifications and accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view on the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the parts after the actuation of theoperating member.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the parts during the operation of thedevice.

In the form of construction shown schematically and by way of example inthe drawing the temporising or delay device is provided with anoperating member M which can occupy two extreme positions defined by thestops 1 and 2. The operating member is pivoted freely on a shaft 3 andis subjected to the action of a spring 4 tending to hold it in each ofits two extreme positions. The

3 shaft 3 carries, also pivoted freely thereon, a lever carrying a pin 6held by a spring I in contact with a portion of the operating member M.The lever 5 is provided with a nose 8 so positioned that for one of thepositions of the member M (Fig. 3) it is in the path of an actuatingmember A secured rigidly to a ratchet wheel: 9. The latter is pivotedfreely on a shaft Illcarrying, rigidly fixed to its end, adjustingmember II provided with a nose I2 placed at the same distance from theshaft ID as the actuating member-- A. Theratchet wheel 9 is connected tothe part II by means of a spring I3 tending to hold'the nose I2 inengagement with the member A. Finally the shaft In carries a settingmember (not shown) enabling the angular position ofthe nose I2 and thusof the actuating member Ato be fixed at will.

The ratchet wheel is driven in rotation against the action of the springI3 by a feed pawl I4 mounted with slight friction on an eccentricportion I5 of a shaft connected mechanically to a motor 5. The shaft IEis also provided with a concentric portion I! on which is pivoted aretaining pawl I8 by means of a sleeve I9 tightened against a shoulderof the shaft I6 by av screw 2!. The pawl I8 is mounted with slightfriction on the sleeve I9 so that when theshaft- I6 is in.

rotation, the pawl I8 is subjected to. the action of a friction torquetending to hold it in engagementwith the teeth 22 of .the ratchet wheel9.

The. operation of the device described is as follows:

When the device is at rest (Fig. 2) the operating member M is held byitsspring in contact.

with its stop I. For this position of the member M a lug 23, carried bythis and acting on the ends 25 of tails 26- provided-on the pawls I4"and I8; holds the latter out of engagement from the teeth 22. Thus theshaft Ifi-which is actuated permanently, turns idly.

On the contrary when the member M isrocked' into its other extremeposition (Fig. 3) defined by the stop 2, the lug 23 is out of rangeof-the ends of the tails 26 of the pawls I4 and I8. The shaft- I6,rotating in a counterclockwise direction,

drives the feed and retaining pawls by friction and tends to hold theirends in engagementwith the teeth 22. The rotation of the shaft I6-imparts, by reason of the eccentric portion I5, a periodic movement ofrotary translationto-t-he feed pawll l. During this movement the end .of

this pawl produces an angular movement of the.

ratchet wheel. In fact, the frictionto. whiehnit is subjected tends to.cause it to pivot and to hold, it in engagement with the teeth Hand on,theotherhand, the movement imparted thereto by the eccentric portion I5,causes its end to; carry out a ,to-and-fro movement along the teeth 22.

It will. be. clear that during its feed stroke.

of theteeth 20. so as to produce, during each feed movement of thispawl, an angular feed-of the wheel 9;at least equal to the pitchv of theteeth- 22.: Thus; the actuating member A previously positionedby meansof the'setting member (notshown) in a desired angular position, isdriven progressively in the direction of the nose 8. After a period oftime, which is a function of the angular position into which the nose I2has been placed by the operation of the adjusting member II, the memberA actuates the operating member M through the medium of the lever-5.When the point of attachment of the spring 4 to the operating member isbrought to the opposite side of the radius connecting the shaft 3 to thefixed point. ofattachment of the spring 4, this spring produces therocking of the member M up to its stop I and stops the drive of thewheel 9 by the pawls I4 and I8.

These pawls I4 and I8 have in fact been raised from theteeth- 22' by theaction of the lug 23. The; ratchet wheel 9 thus returns, under theaction of the spring I3 to its initial position (Fig. 2), that is to sayinto the position in which the member A bears against the nose I2. Thusthe temporising or delay device is again in the-initial state and readyfor a fresh operation under the nose I2, the actuating member A in sucha -position (Fig. 2) that it prevents the lever M from assuming anystable position other than that defined by the stop I. When in thiscondition of" adjustment. the lever M.is brought against the stop 2 byan external action, the nose B'of' thelever 5 strikes against and bearsagainst-the actuating member A, whilst the lever M continues itsmovement up to the stop 2 by moving away from-the pin 6 and placing thespring I under tension. When the external action applied to the lever Mceases, this is returned to its initial position (Fig. 2) under thecombined action of the springs I and 4. The pawls I4=and I8 remaininoperative as regards the ratchet wheel 9.

Thus the member M is swung from its position defined by stop 2 to itsposition defined by stop I after a delay beginning with the moment itis." placed in the former position and when the-operation of the ratchetwheel commences and therefore is the delayed member.

From the foregoing and by examination of-the drawing it will be seenthat the delay device'described is completely silent. In fact the pawlsare driven by friction in the direction of the ratchetwheel in such amanner that their engaging movement takes place at a speed correspondingwith that of the shaft I6. Consequently shocks cannot be produced whenfor example, the retaining pawl falls. between the shaft It and thewheel 9 being solely a function of the number of teeth constituting theteeth 2.2; it is clear that this may be selected very large, whichenables a delay device to be con structed which is adjustable betweenzero and a relatively long maximum period of time. Finally the form ofconstruction-described, allows of'a very compact construction and havingin fact a 5. very small thickness.

To those who are. skilled in the art, it will be apparent afterfollowing the present description of my invention that modificationsthereof employingv the principles which I have described may be made tomeet particular conditions, and all such. modifications which arecomprehended within the scopeof the appended claims are considered' tobe a part of my'invention.

I claim:

1..A delay device comprising a rocking operat- Further, the transmission ratio ing member, a pair of spaced fixed stops, said stopsserving to determine the extreme positions of said rocking member, aspring associated with said rocking member, said spring serving to moveand hold said rocking member in its end positions, an actuating membercooperating with said rocking member, an adjusting member associatedwith said actuating member, a return spring associated with saidadjusting member, a shaft, means for driving said shaft, a feed pawl onsaid shaft, a ratchet wheel connected to said adjusting member by saidreturn spring, and a retaining pawl on said shaft, said feed pawl andsaid retaining pawl cooperating with said ratchet wheel, said feed pawlbeing subjected to a friction torque in such a manner as to cooperatewith said ratchet wheel carrying said actuating mem ber, said ratchetwheel being retained against the action of said return spring by saidretaining pawl which is subjected to a friction torque tending to holdsaid retaining pawl in engagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel.

2. A device according to claim 1, including an eccentric portion on saidshaft, said feed pawl being mounted on said eccentric portion withslight friction.

3. A device according to claim 1, including a concentric portion on saidshaft, said retaining pawl being mounted with slight friction on saidconcentric portion.

4. A device according to claim 1, including tails located one on each ofsaid pawls, said pawls being mounted with slight friction on said shaft,and a lug on said operating member, said pawls being actuated againstfriction torques by the cooperation of the said lug with said tails whensaid operating member is in its position of rest.

5. A device according to claim 1, including a second shaft on which saidratchet wheel is pivoted freely, said adjusting member being carried bysaid shaft, and a stop member on said adjusting member, said stop memberdefining the desired angular position of said actuating member andcorresponding with the desired period of delay.

6. A delay device comprising a shaft, an operating member pivoted freelyon said shaft, a pair of stops cooperating with said operating member,said stops serving to define the two end positions of said operatingmember, a spring associated with said operating member, said springserving to urge said operating member into one or other of its endpositions, a lever pivotally mounted on said shaft, a pin on said lever,a second spring associated with said lever, said second spring holdingsaid pin in contact with said operating member, a nose on said lever, asecond shaft, a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on said second shaft, anactuating member secured rigidly to said ratchet wheel, an adjustingmember secured rigidly to said second shaft, a second nose on saidadjusting member, said second nose being at the same distance from saidsecond shaft as said actuating member, a third spring fixed at oppositeends to said ratchet wheel and said adjusting member, said third springtending to hold said second nose in engagement with said actuatingmember, a third shaft, concentric and eccentric portions on said thirdshaft, a feed pawl frictionally engaging said eccentric portion, aretaining pawl frictionally engaging said concentric portion, said pawlscooperating with said ratchet wheel, tails on said pawls and a lug onsaid operating member, said lug cooperating with said tails.

ENZO ASCOLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 0 1,925,781 Taylor Sept. 5, 1933FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 551,877 Great Britain Mar. 12, 1943

